Elemental Births

03/24/2023

A doula is also able to monitor the new mother for signs of emotional or mental distress. While mild mood swings or baby blues can be typical, more serious signs of distress can include feelings of hopelessness expressed by new mothers, incapacity to or lack of interest in caring for themselves or their baby, or if they are processing a traumatic birth experience or navigating lack of support. Doulas are watching out for how well a mother or birthing person adjusts during postpartum.

03/23/2023

Childbearing, labor, and birth has been a socially assisted and supported event through many different cultures throughout our world's history.
But the modern word "doula" was first coined by American medical anthropologist, Dana Louise Raphael in 1969. "Doula" was derived from the Greek word Soúla for "servant-woman", "woman who serves", and, in some translations,
"woman slave'
The term "doula" has been adopted by people of all identities such as men, non-binary, or agendered people and now extends to services beyond reproductive health-related support.
Doulas emerge and evolve to fulfill a much needed support role in whatever communities they serve!

02/17/2023

01/09/2023

How can a Doula help with informed consent?
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A birth doula's role is to equip and empower a client and their family to self-advocate.
They can help you avoid unwanted interventions and if you have a history of trauma or are fearful about giving birth, a doula can stand by you and offer support without judgment or bias.
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Therefore a doula is a pregnant person's advisor, advocate, and a parent's guide to taking care of a newborn.
Beyond offering critical emotional support, doulas can have a significant impact on facilitating positive birth outcomes and improving labor and birth experiences.

01/05/2023

Numerous studies have documented the benefits of having a doula present during labor. A recent Cochrane Review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, showed a very high number of positive birth outcomes when a doula was present. With their support, women were less likely to have pain-relief medications administered and less likely to have a cesarean birth. Women also reported having a more positive childbirth experience(a).
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Other studies have shown that having a doula as a member of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40%, and requests for an epidural by 60%.(b)
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(a) Childbirth Connection
(b) Hodnett ED. Gates S Hofmeyr GJ. SakalaC. Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. CD003766
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The role of the doula is never to take the place of a Partner during labor, but rather to complement and enhance their experience. Today, more Partners play an active role in the birth process. However, some partners prefer to enjoy the delivery without having to stand in as the labor coach.
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By having a doula as a part of the birth team, a Partner is free to do whatever they choose. Doulas can encourage them to use comfort techniques and can step in if they want a break. Having a doula allows the partner or support person to be emotionally available during labor and birth, and to also enjoy the experience without the added pressure of trying to remember everything they learned in childbirth class!
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Are you interested in how a Doula can help you during pregnancy, labor and birth? Message or email today for a free consultation!

01/04/2023

What makes up a positive birth experience?
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1. Private
2. Safe
3. Unobserved
A. conducting myself (or yourself) within a birth space (and only if you've been invited in... if you haven't been invited, then you have violated the first 3 rules so, back out of the birth space in a low slow and quiet manner)
B. Low: when in a birth space, make every attempt to not hover over the top or above the birthing person. Get down to their eye level or below. It helps to remind you and hopefully them that they have the power in the space and allows for eye contact and respectful engagement.
C. Slow: avoid rushing around the birth space. Keep movement of your body slow and purposeful.
Unnecessary shuffling and racing about the birth space is distracting.
4. Quiet: keep your voice to low tones, quiet and unobtrusive so as not to break the birth space with noise. Avoid adding any noise to the space that is not absolutely needed. Before speaking ask yourself,
'would my words right now be beneficial?” and if not, you don't need to say them.
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✨Physiology-

Is fluid, not static. It Can change INSTANTLY. It’s affected by your environment, influenced by stress and anxiety, and is guided by your thoughts and feelings. Understanding physiology is the key to a positive birth experience.
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When you understand HOW all these things affect your physiology and influence labor pain, you integrate with your body. You trust your body, you are present with your body, for the good and the bad. Birth is no longer a scary task, but something you can feel confident and capable of!
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Are you interested in hiring a Birth Doula? Message or email for a free consultation!

01/02/2023

A birth doula's main job is to respect and support the values, beliefs, and autonomy of the birthing person/family. That support can manifest in many ways, depending on what the birthing person and their family needs. It can look like emotional support, physical comfort, infant care, information, referrals, household organization, etc.
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Are you interested in hiring a birth doula? Email today for a free consultation! Elementalbirths@gmail.com
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